Research Areas

Infections in livestock: vaccines and diagnosis

• Immunology at molecular and cellular levels: knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved in the immunity of livestock and the pathogenicity of microorganisms (viruses and bacteria) for the development of vaccines and diagnostic testing.

This research area is to be developed by the following research groups:

• Animal Health. Supervised by: Dr. Beatriz Amorena, Dr. Damián de Andrés and Dr. Mª Jesús Grilló.
• Microbial Biofilm. Supervised by: Dr. Íñigo Lasa.

Microbial biofilms

Identification and characterisation of the molecular and biochemical mechanisms involved in the formation of:

• Biofilms of pathogenic bacteria.

This research area is to be developed by the following research groups:

• Microbial Biofilm. Supervised by: Dr. Íñigo Lasa.
• Animal Health. Supervised by: Dr. Beatriz Amorena, Dr. Damián de Andrés and Dr. Mª Jesús Grilló.

Plants as biofactories (substances and vaccines)

Obtention of plants/factories capable of producing:

• Substances of biopharmaceutical interest.
• High levels of starch.

Also research into the mechanisms which regulate glucidic metabolism in plants through metabolic engineering and metabolomics.

This research area is to be developed by the following research groups:

• Plant agrobiotechnology. Supervisor: Dr. Jon Veramendi
• Carbohydrate Metabolism. Supervisor: Dr. Javier Pozueta.

Carbohydrate metabolism – Energy crops

Obtention of energy crops with modified starch levels with potential for use in the biofuel sector.

This research area is to be developed by the following research group:

• Carbohydrate metabolism. Supervised by: Dr. Javier Pozueta.

Iron, nitrogen and antioxidant metabolism in plants

Study of plants’ response mechanisms to the environment during their growth and development.

• Nitrogen nutrition in plants: nitric, ammoniacal and ureic nutrition and atmospheric nitrogen fixation by leguminous plants.
• Abiotic stress as yield limiting factor: Physiological mechanisms of plant antioxidants.
• Ammonia stress and tolerance mechanisms (in pea and spinach plants as models).
• Biotechnological and nanotechnological use of Plants’ Antioxidant Systems.

This research area is to be developed by the following research group:

• Plant physiology and agrobiotechnology Supervised by: Dr. Pedro Aparicio.

Bioinsecticides

Development of pest-control measures capable of permitting the development of sustainable agriculture and the conservation of the environment.

• Identification and characterisation of entomopathogenic viruses and microorganisms for their development as bioinsecticides.
• Baculoviruses.
• Bacillus thuringiensis.

This research area is to be developed by the following research group:

• Microbial bioinsecticides Supervised by: Dr. Primitivo Caballero